2022 2022 was a hard year with some moments of joy.  In January Mick's sister, Dixie, was taken by pancreatic cancer. While we were in Lubbock waiting for funeral preparations (dang covid) we got to watch Wes and Kyle play basketball (great nephews). And we got to meet Mr. Personality, Jeremiah (our 4 year old great nephew). Mick's brother Paul was unable to attend the service as he was fighting a stomach bacterial infection.

In April we received a call from Jody (Mick's nephew) telling us that his dad, Jimmy, Mick's oldest brother had suffered a stroke and the prognosis was not good.  He passed away two days later.  While we were in Lubbock for his service we watched Wes compete in his district track meet where he qualified for regionals. 

Paul attended the funeral weighing 80 pounds less than normal. In May we received a call saying he was in the emergency room in Amarillo and they had found cancer. He began his treatments in August.  In November his oncologist told him the tumor was 95% gone and he felt the prognosis was good. 

In August Bill (Dixie's husband) was diagnosed with an intestinal blockage that required surgery.  The initial diagnosis was cancer, but a few days later, they said "oops" not cancer.  He is on the road to recovery and feeling much better.

   
Kiddos Jamie went to work on a Wednesday in November and found the business was locking it's doors that day.  Considering he had been working 120 hour weeks all year he was not sure what the story was, but by 5 that day he had another job.  The oil fields in Texas are busy in spite of politicians. He said the job is not bad other than he is the low man on the totem pole at the new job so guess who  works Christmas Day.  Luchi continues to work with her special kids in the Elementary ESL program in Weatherford. She has survived / endured / successfully completed Natalie's drivers course.  Interstate 20 is an accelerated training ground for student drivers.  Natalie will be "sweet 16" in January. The sweet still applies as well as studious, tennis player and a member of a girls only Dungeon and Dragon's club.  Can I just say NERD!  Martin will be an official teenager on December 19. He has a quick mind and his energy level is on steroids. His dog TicTac is a border collie doodle and is a perfect match for him.  He played football this fall for the Weatherford 7th grade and coach has already recruited him for the track team.
   
  Casey continues to say, "can't complain about being busy when I own the business," but sometimes he just wants to play golf. His dining room table is his work space since he continues to work from home and Tex is thrilled with the arrangement. Mary is still in the classroom and says teaching the STEM class is a great option, her students want to be there and want to work hard.  Kira is a Junior at Tech where she plans to finish her degree in 3.5 years. She will be traveling to Spain this summer for a "study abroad" semester.  Katy is planning a trip to Italy with a group of girls next summer. She has transitioned into high school quite easily and enrolled in computer programming class. She remains the cartwheel champion. She decided to try club volleyball and is loving it.  She will be 15 in May which means "driver's ed."
   
  Bethany continues to work two jobs. Her day job is still with Will Call (an oil field support service company) working through invoices and payroll.  Her night job is her accredited proofreading. She enjoys the work but it includes lots of depositions from the California courts. She said those can either be bone jarring graphic or pure California stupid. Michael continues with NOW (an oil field supply company). In the last few years his duties have shifted, adjusted and changed but fingers are crossed that all those things have leveled out.  Gatlin is a first grader and enjoyed T-ball in the spring. He reads very well although it is not his favorite pastime. Big school is okay but he has "homework". Lincoln is a "hot mess". Being the youngest equals the most stubborn is a good description. He enjoys pestering big brother but gets very upset if "Bubba" is out of sight. He flirts, pouts and knows all the tricks needed to stay out of "big" trouble. He is a doll.
   
On the Road 2022 Style We did not plan to travel quite as much as we did this year, but we have decided we need to go while we can. We both say we will not be traveling in wheel chairs.
   
  We did our first (and last) New Year's Eve cruise. The ship was full of obnoxious kids and drunk college graduates  We were scheduled to cruise again the end of January and low and behold I tested positive for covid.  I wasn't sick and I never got sick but positive says no go. GRRRR.  
   
  We skipped March Madness in Vegas and stayed home. We had the grandkids for a few days and mini a GCamp.  We enjoyed watching the basketball games at home and a couple at a local sports bar. Saved us a good bit of money, slept in our own bed and did not miss the cigarette smoke or crowds.
   
  In April we departed on a 30th anniversary cruise with Marvin, Linda and Joni. Many cruises were still discounted and we talked ourselves into adding six days to the end of an 8 day cruise. We enjoyed the longer cruise and had time for more bridge and dominoes.
   
  In June we went to Lubbock and had a planning meeting for our Europe cruise, we also attended the Seaton reunion (coolest reunion ever) and met the Hopkins in Tulia for a chili relleno. In July we went back to Lubbock and helped our friend Paulette move into her apartment in Carillon. It was hard work and a tough, but very good decision for her. She is enjoying the new digs and making lots of friends.
   
  In August we went to St Maarten with the Hopkins. We had a great place on the beach and spent many hours relaxing and snorkeling. We did make it to Maho beach to watch the planes land and take off.  One night we wandered down the beach into karaoke where a man from Weatherford, Texas sang Amarillo by Morning and we got to 2-step on St. Maarten.  How cool is that?

 

As always it is fun to watch the two guys take up like it is still the 80's and they are still at Tech. 

   
  In October we flew to Rome. The "we" being Joni, Marvin, Linda, Jan Morgan and us.  We spent a few days playing tourist around the "eternal city" and then got on a ship and cruised around the Mediterranean for nine days ending in Lisbon, Portugal. We remained on the ship (B2B - back to back) and cruised across the Atlantic ending up in Tampa, Florida. For those of you who didn't take advantage of the cheap cruise prices during the covid shutdown, all I can say is nanner nanner.

Here we are in Gibraltar.  Lucky not to have a monkey sitting on our head.  They were everywhere and they were crazy.

   
  Two weeks after we got off the Europe cruise we drove to New Orleans with Gary and Voni and cruised to the Panama Canal. This was a cruise that was booked prior to covid. When covid came along it was rescheduled, then the ship was changed, and finally they moved the departure from Galveston to New Orleans.  We stubbornly refused to give it up and enjoyed 14 days of dominoes, food and friends with stops in South America, Central America, Mexico, some beautiful islands and of course a cruise ship ride into the Panama Canal. 

   
GCamp GCamp began in March and the kiddos came back for another week in June.  Scrapbooks, projects, a movie, bowling and we ended with the traditional water balloon fight. All are growing up but can still engage with whoever is available to play and laugh.
   
Travels Plans We will be enjoying several discounted cruises for a few more years. The price to fly south and lay on the beach has gone up while the cost of a cruise has gone down. We have seven cruises booked in 2023 and two booked in 2024 and are working on one for 2025.  BTW - a group of us are going on the Protest Cruise in November 2024. We will be out of the country on election day. If you would like to join us, let me know.
   
  As for us, we are doing well. For some reason they keep weighing me at the doctor's office, like they think it is going to change!  Geez.  We still do our own yard work. Well Micky does 99% of it but I am his biggest cheerleader. We are lazy between trips and are enjoying retirement.  We have discovered basketball and volleyball at UMHB (University of Mary Hardin Baylor) and the games are free.
   
  We need gas prices to drop so we can take the road trips that are on our list. We dream of seeing our friends and family face to face, sharing hugs and laughter and reminding you how important you are to us.
   
 

We wish each of you a blessed holiday season and a safe one. 

   
 
Gcamp at the movies, Jurassic Park of course.

 

 Hats in the back yard.   Katy (14), Natalie (15), Martin (12), Gatlin (7) and Lincoln (3).
   

 

 

 

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